Will Coggin is the research director at the Center for the Environment and Welfare.

As inflation sweeps through the Maine economy, residents are desperate for relief — from gas to the grocery store. Fortunately, help could be on the way via the 2026 Farm Bill. The legislation passed the House in April and now awaits sign-off from the Senate.

Central to the package is a fix to California’s Proposition 12, which bans the sale of normal pork and eggs in Golden State supermarkets. The only option for shoppers are Whole Foods-style products at expensive Whole Foods-level prices.  

Developed with little to no input from farmers, veterinarians or experts in animal care and food safety, Prop 12 is hurting cash-strapped farms everywhere. Farmers in the Midwest or Northeast— areas in which Maine imports food — are forced to comply because California is a major consumer market with tens of millions of people. That means higher prices for Mainers.

The expensive domino effect is already in motion. Because of Prop 12, the prices of pork and eggs are roughly 20% higher in California. Pork loins are 32% more expensive, while bacon is up 16%. Meanwhile, egg prices are rising by 41% across America, in part due to Prop 12 compliance. 

Mainers have been feeling the burden of higher prices for years, and they need every bit of congressional relief. In the Northeast, prices are up 4.4% from a year ago. This affects urban areas like Portland and more rural parts of the state. Cost of living is clearly the top issue in the upcoming midterms.

This legislative session, Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King have a golden opportunity to provide that relief. If the Senate follows in the footsteps of the House, the 2026 Farm Bill would protect states’ rights to regulate animal agriculture within their borders while providing regulatory certainty for farmers selling animal protein across state lines. 

Not only would the move protect the freedom of consumers to access affordable animal protein, it would promote a healthy food marketplace. Small family farms are hard pressed to absorb the extra Prop 12 compliance costs — which could drive many into bankruptcy. If left intact, the resulting food market consolidation would lead to less competition and, in turn, higher price tags.

California shouldn’t be regulating Maine or other states, and this isn’t particularly controversial. From Arizona to Georgia to Maine, most residents support a Prop 12 fix in the 2026 Farm Bill. And according to the latest polling, 60% of Californians want Prop 12 modified to reduce the price of pork and eggs. 

While proponents claim Prop 12 combats animal cruelty, the reality is far from black and white.

To quote the American Veterinary Medical Association: “The arbitrary housing requirements in Prop 12 do not objectively improve animal welfare and may unintentionally cause harm.” The American Association of Swine Veterinarians has also come out against Prop 12, claiming a congressional fix is the only path to “sustaining a resilient U.S. food system.”

It’s time for Maine’s Senate delegation to listen. The House version of the bill garnered bipartisan support, and that is rare in today’s America. Amid partisan politics, the 2026 Farm Bill is uniting allies across the political spectrum in favor of food affordability. Even rivals from the Trump and Biden administrations agree. 

When Republican and Democratic standard bearers see eye-to-eye, there is no excuse for congressional inaction. For Maine’s Senate delegation, the only choice is to pass the 2026 Farm Bill for a more affordable state.